Support for the backbone or spinal column of the human body



C. G. HALL, JR

SUPPORT FOR THE BACKBONE OR SPINAL COLUMN OF THE HUMAN BODY Sept. 9, 1941.,

Filed Sept. 21', 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l *se t. 9, 1941. c G HALL, JR 2,255,464

SUPPORT FOR THE BAGKBONE OR SPINAL COLUMN OF THE HUMAN BODY Filed Sept. 21, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 9, 1941 SUPPORT FOR THE BACKBONE OR SPINAL COLUMN OF THE HUMAN BODY Chalmers G. Hall, Jr., Detroit, Mich.

Application September 21, 1939, Serial No. 295,955

Claims.

applied to the desired part of the back-bone, and

attached to the back of a seat, the body of the wearer or placed upon a cot or bed in supporting position for the back-bone of the user.

It is the premise of this invention that great fatigue is caused by the absence of a support for the back-bone of the body, while driving in a motor car or in other places caused by the vibrations of travel and the strain upon the muscles,

bones and nerves of the back of the body to support the nerve centers and structures of the spinal column and skull carried thereon.

It is the further premise that invalids and workers are subject to physical and nervous fatigue caused by the postures of the body in which -strain is imposed upon the back of .a person whether erect, recumbent, or reclining.

It is therefore the additional object of my invention to produce a resilient and shock-absorbing support for the back-bone or spinal column adapted to be employed and adjustably applied to the varied postures of the body, such as in riding, reclining, or working in a seated and upright posture; or in any other attitude or configuration that the human body may assume.

It is a further and definite object thereof to provide varied and modified adaptations of the broad features of the invention which illustrate the varied and ramified application to which it may be employed within the broad principles and purposes of its basic conception.

To these ends, my invention includes the combination and arrangement of component parts and assembled relations to be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the claims. a

In the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters indicate similar parts:

Fig. 1 is a side view of my device applied to the seat of an automobile, supported upon the back thereof by clips or hangers;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device having a base, upon which the supporting rib for the back-bone is erected;

Fig. 3 is a front view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 3;

Fig. 51s a perspective view thereof as adapted to be held frictionally between the back of a seat and the body of a person;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a base which lies against the back of a seat or chair and'rests upon the seat;

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of the device positioned in the upholstery of an automobile seat;-

Fig. 8 represents the device attached to the body of a person by a harness around the shoulders and waist of the wearer, such as a mill worker or telephone operator;

Fig. 9 is a horizontal cross-section of Figure 8 taken on the line 9-9;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a similar form adapted to be adjustably mounted on the back of a car seat, while Fig. 11 is a detail view in perspective showing the wedge-shaped form of Fig. 10 in inverted position.

My invention includes, generally, a rib or strut of semi-resilient and shock absorbent material, such as sponge rubber, suitably mounted and positioned to bear upon the back-bone or spinal column of a person in sitting or reclining posture adapted to support the spinal column, relieve the supporting muscles of the back of the body, ab-

sorb vibrations, relieve nervous and body fatigue; a back or base support and means mounting or positioning the same, fixedly or adjustably, upon the seats and chairs used by a person or upon ones person when the body is moved from and returned to a supporting chair or seat back.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like characters indicate similar parts, where applicable, l indicates the bottom portion and 2 the back portion of a seat, such as an automobile, which, as shown, is slanted or tilted rearwardly at an acute angle to the bottom portion.

Suitably carried upon the back portion 2 is provided a support or brace 3 for the back-bone or spinal column of a person of resilient or shock absorbent material, such as sponge rubber, although any other suitable material may be employed. device that a vertically or longitudinally disposed rib or ridge 5 of resilient material shall be mounted in position adjacent to the back of a person so that it shall bear against his back-bone and, as before stated, more particularly support that portion of his anatomy and relieve the muscular and nervous strain caused by vibration or false posture.

It is the essential characteristic of my In the use of the term rib or ridge, the diction-' ary definition is employed as follows: "An elevation or protuberance long in proportion to its width and generally having sloping sides.

Said ridge is preferably mounted .or imposed upon the flexible flat base 6, which as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 is detachably supported upon the back 2 of the seat by curved clips or hangers 1 preferably of spring metal which at their free ends are bent over or around and depend from the top of the seat back 2 in such position that the ridge bears against the back-bone of a person seated and leaning against the back While the laterally extending portion 6a may support the shoulders and back of the person. The lower ends of the hangers 1 are embedded in the base 6. The structure and arrangement thus described relieves the muscles and nerves of the back-bone and spinal column from the strain of supporting the parts of the body and absorbs the vibrations and shocks of travel.

For the purpose of adapting my device to varied uses, it may be constructed as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings without support, so that it may be held frictionally between the backbone of a person and the back of a chair or seat; and also as illustrated in Fig. 6 wherein the flexible back or base 6 is sufliciently elongated at its lower end as at 6b to-rest upon and be supported by the seat I. As previously suggested, my invention is particularly adapted to use in the backs of seats of motor vehicles as shown in Fig. 7, incorporated in the upholstery thereof a portion of which is shown in broken lines. An embodiment of such use is illustrated in Fig. of the drawings wherein the device is adjustably supported and the back is provided with a slit or slot ID to allow the ridge 5 to project therethrough.

In the form shown in Fig. 10, the shape of the ridge is illustrated as of a wedge at H; while in Fig. 11, the support is shown in inverted form as at l2.

It is envisioned that it may be desired to attach the back-bone support of my invention to the body of a person, and provision for such use is illustrated in Fig. 8 of the drawings. As shown therein, the base 6 and ridge 5 are supported on or attached to the back of the wearer by the straps I4 which loop around the shoulders and are attached to the pad at their opposite ends as at D and E, and by the belt [5 Which embraces the waist and is attached at its ends to the pad at IS. The base 6 is provided with a spring metal piece l3 to firmly hold the rib 5 against the backbone of the wearer.

From the foregoing description, it will be obvious that my supporting device will provide an efficient support and shock absorber for the backbone of a person'and relieve the strain and Jars on the muscles and nerves of its user, which is capable of employment in many places such as chairs, seats or cots and in moving vehicles to absorb vibrations and shock, and is capable of adjustment in position to the contours. postures and sizes of the bodies of users; and that its details of construction and arrangement may be modified within a wide range without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. A support for the back-bone or spinal column of a person comprising a longitudinally disposed ridge of resilient material, applied to the back of the person and interposed between the back-bone and a supporting structure for the back of a person said ridge supporting the backbone independently of the adjacent body tissue.

2. A support for the back-bone or spinal column of a person, comprising a flat base of flexible material and an elongated longitudinally disposed ridge of resilient material mounted thereon, adapted to be applied to the back of the person and interposed between the back-bone and a supporting structure for the back of the user said ridge supporting the back-bone independently of the adjacent body tissue.

3. A support for the back-bone or spinal column of a person, comprising a flat base of flexible material and an elongated narrow ridge of resilient and flexible material mounted thereon in position to be applied to the back-bone of the person, interposed between the back-bone and a support for the back of the user said ridge supporting the back-bone independently of the adjacent body tissue, and means for adjustably supporting said base upon the back support.

4. A support for the back-bone or spinal column of a person, comprising a flat base of flexible material and an elongated narrow ridge of resilient and flexible material mounted thereon in position to be applied to the back-bone of the person, interposed between the back-bone and a support for the back of the user said ridge supporting the back-bone independently of the adjacent body tissue, and means for supporting said base upon the back support.

5. A support for the back-bone or spinal column of a person, comprising a flat base of flexible material and an elongated ridge of flexible material longitudinally mounted thereon in position to be applied to the back-bone of a person. and a harness attached to the body of the person to secure the base upon his back in position to be interposed between his person and a back support.

CHALMERS G. HALL, Ja. 

